Sylvester Ruffus Allen (1881-1914)
Sylvester Ruffus Allen was born May 4, 1881 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia and died March 19, 1914 at Portsmouth, Virginia. He was the eldest son of Sylvester Joseph Allen & Martha Thomas Clayton. He married Faith Wilbur Ostrander, daughter of Abraham Cline Ostrander & Harriet Louise Ostrander on November 23, 1902 at Berkley, Virginia. He was a railcar builder/repairman for the Atlanic & Danville Railroad at Portsmouth, Virginia. Biography Early Years The Allen family moved from Mecklenburg County to Norfolk County when Ruffus was about 10 years old. His father, Joseph Allen, was a carpenter by trade, but he became addicted to alcohol, so Ruffus' mother, Martha, had to go to work at the knitting mill, sewing to make ends meet. The family moved almost yearly between Norfolk, Portsmouth and Berkley. Ruffus worked some with his father, building houses, where he too learned the carpentry trade. Ruffus had an older sister, Georgie, who was a year older, and then two brothers, Jesse (12 years younger) and Fred (15 years younger), who he, no doubt, had to look after some during the day. Their mother, Martha would sometimes take Jesse and Fred to work with her when they were infants. She would dangle them underneath the sewing machine by the tails of their infant gowns so she could keep an eye on them while she worked. When Ruffus was young, he'd walk the streets and would search the trash for foods like candy bars that were half-eaten, thrown out. He use to say the best way to eat it was in a dark alley so you wouldn't have to look at it. Military Service Loc massachusetts apprentices1.jpg|U.S.S. Massachusetts. Apprentices (possibly Ruffus 3rd from left, middle row standing) Loc massachusetts apprentices(ruffusallencloseup).jpg|Closeup of the Massachusetts Apprentices photo. This was the year Ruffus served on this ship, and this looks like him. Loc massachusetts gunnerycrew.jpg|U.S.S. Massachusetts, Gunnery Crew (possibly Ruffus, 1st from left, bottom row). Loc massachusetts gunnerycrew(ruffusallen).jpg|Closeup of Massachusetts Gunnery Crew photo. This is the year Ruffus served on this ship and this looks like him. Loc massachusetts readytoturnin.jpg Loc massachusetts readytoturnin(ruffusallen).jpg|Closeup of the previous photo. This is possibly Ruffus, being that he served on this ship the same year this was taken, and this looks like him. Loc massachusetts ruffusboxing.jpg|Possibly Ruffus Allen boxing (left) on the U.S.S. Massachusetts. This was taken in 1901, the year he served onboard the ship. And it looks like him. Ussfranklin.jpg|U.S.S. Franklin, 1898 Usstexas 1.jpg|U.S.S. Texas Ussmassachusetts 1.jpg|U.S.S. Massachusetts Ussmassachusetts(andtexas).jpg|U.S.S. Massachusetts & U.S.S. Texas Ruffus enlisted in the United States Navy on October 21, 1899 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, a year after the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. He trained aboard the U.S.S. Franklin, a receiving ship, docked at the shipyard. By November 26 he was assigned to the U.S.S. Texas, a member of the North Atlantic Squadron, performing peacetime drills as well as patrolling the north eastern coast of America along with periodical visits to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Havana in Cuba. A year later, the Texas was docked at Hampton Roads for a length refitting, where Ruffus worked below deck in the double bottoms, scraping paint. Somehow he injured his eye (possibly due to a solvent like paint thinner getting in his eye). By October 31, 1900 he was sent back to the Franklin until reassigned to the U.S.S. Massachusetts on November 30, another member of the North Atlantic Navysurpenfil sylrall page1.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page2.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page3 pensioncertificate.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page4.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page5.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page6.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page7.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page8.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page9.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page10.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page11.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page12.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page13.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page14.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page15.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page16.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page17.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page18.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page19.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page20.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page21.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page22.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page23.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page24.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page25.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page26.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page27.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page28.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page29.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page30.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page31.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page32.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page33.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page34.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page35.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page36.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page37.jpg Navysurpenfil sylrall page38.jpg Squadron. He remained there until being honorably discharged on September 27, 1901, being "unfit for service". Previously in June he had been diagnosed completely blind in his right eye. He began trying to apply for a pension, but his paperwork at the lawyer's office was burnt in a fire, and it was almost 10 years before he would tried again. By June 26, 1909 he began receiving a pension of $12 per month. During his service in the Navy, Ruffus' parents, Joseph & Martha divorced around 1900. Adult Life After being released from the Navy, Ruffus returned to civilian life, living at Berkley. He met Faith Wilbur Ostrander at the Elizabeth Knitting Mill (possibly the knitting mill his mother, Martha, worked at). She was the daughter of Abraham Cline Ostrander & Harriet Louise Ostrander, a well-to-do family from Schodack, New York, living in Berkley, Virginia. Ruffus and Faith married November 23, 1902 at the home of Rev. Philip S. C. Davis (Pastor of the South Norfolk Baptist Church), located on Chesapeake Ave., north of Guerriere Street. At the time of their marriage, Ruffus was working as a carpenter. By 1903 he began repairing railroad cars for the Atlantic & Danville Railroad. For the next years of his life, he did this, except a few times he went back to carpentry. The Allen’s moved frequently between Berkley, Portsmouth and Norfolk, until 1909 when they settled down at 221 Charleston Avenue, north of Duke Street, now where Highway 264 runs through. Ruffus had several opportunities where, if he had the sight of both eyes, could have accepted a couple of lucrative positions, one at Pinners Point, Virginia and the other for Seaboard Airline Railroad at Portsmouth. Ruffus and Faith had three children, Ruth Louise (born October 3, 1903), Richard Cline “Dick” (October 3, 1905) and Teresa May “Tess” (May 16, 1909). At some point in the remainder of his short life, his eye became infected with gangrene, and the doctor advised him to have it lanced, because the infection could lead to the brain and kill him, but he refused to have it taken out and eventually the infection did migrate to the brain. Death Ruffus died at the age of 32 on March 19, 1914 at his home at 221 Charleston Avenue, Portsmouth, Virginia after a short illness of acute nephritis (failure of the kidneys). Ruffus was the love of Faith’s life, and she missed him dearly and cherished the memory of him. There were many times that she brought the children by his grave, and his portrait hung on the living room wall. He was a member of the Patriotic Order (Sons of America), as well as the Merrimac Lodge, No. 188 (Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen). Sylvester Ruffus Allen was buried Sunday, March 22 at Oak Grove Cemetery in Portsmouth. He, along with 11 other people are buried in a section marked “Strangers”. It's unknown whether or not his nephritis had anything to do with the gangrene infection in his brain. Personal Information Family Ruffus Allen's parents were Joseph Allen & Martha Jett. His step-mother was Fannie Allen and his step-father was Daniel Jett. His paternal grandparents were George & Rosa Allen, and his paternal step-grandmother was Eliza Allen. His maternal grandparents were Thomas Clayton and Ruthie. He had an older sister, Georgie Powers and two younger brothers, Jesse "Shorty" Allen and Fred (or Clarence) Allen. He also had six other siblings that died as infants due to smallpox or pneumonia. His wife was Faith Ostrander, daughter of Abram Ostrander & Harriet Louise Ostrander. He had three brothers-in-law, Sherley, George and Arthur Ostrander. He also had two sisters-in-law, Nina Dudley and Helen Smith. He had five children, Ruth, Dick and Tess Allen and then two miscarried children, one between Ruth and Dick and the other between Dick and Tess. Ruffus had seven grandchildren by his daugther, Ruth Bonner: William Crawford, Jr. "Bill", Teresa Raye "Tessie", Wilbur Lee, Richard Thomas "Tommy", Janet Ann and Ruth Allen Bonner and one miscarried child between Tommy and Ann. He had three grandchildren by Dick Allen: Shirley Joan, Barbara June and Robert Sylvester Allen. He had three grandchildren by his daughter, Tess Roberts: Jean Marie, Ruth Jacqueline "Ruthie" and Faith Ann Roberts. Ruffus never met any of his grandchildren, because of his early death and the age of 32. Appearance According to his medical records in 1908, he was 5'7" in height, weighed 150 lbs. (average build), had blue-gray eyes and light brown, slightly wavy hair. He had two tattoos, one of a woman's bare leg, located on the inside of his left forearm, and another of a cross on his right hand, in between his thumb and index finger. He looked strikingly similar to his mother, Martha Clayton. His facial appearance has been conferred greatly upon most of his descendants. Personality Ruffus was a very intelligent man, and like most Allen’s, was quite a character. He was a hard worker, sun up to sun down and was even a good cook, and made a very good coconut pie, which he taught to his wife, Faith (among other things), that she continued to make every year at Christmas. He worked hard all the time, and he died when his children were young, so he was unable to spend much time with them. I have reason to believe, he had a rowdy life as a teenager, being the son of an alcoholic and both brothers having been alcoholics in their young adult lives. His parents also divorced when he was around 20 years old. His sister, Georgie also divorced at least twice and his brother, Clarence divorced twice as well. I also believe Ruffus was very much a "ladies' man"; he had a tattoo of a woman's bare leg in the late 1890's when he was in the Navy. Religion He had a tattoo of a cross on his right hand, in between his thumb and index finger. His mother raised her children Pentecostal Holiness, but they all left the church and took up drinking at a young age. He still attended the Pentecostal church, however, and was a Deacon. He and Faith went on their horse and buggy. That's all they had, they never owned a car. Ruffus never gave up drinking though. Residence Residence 1881: Mecklenburg Co., VA 1891-1892: 11th St., Berkley, Norfolk, VA 1893: 3 Alexander Ave., Norfolk, VA 1894-1895: 103 Washington St., Berkley, Norfolk, VA 1896-1897: 905 Pine St., Portsmouth, VA 1898: 932 South St., Portsmouth, VA 1899: Berkley, Norfolk, VA 1899-1901: U.S. Navy Service 1901: 12th St., Berkley, Norfolk, VA 1902: 908 11th St., Berkley, Norfolk, VA 1903: 207 Lee St., Berkley, Norfolk, VA 1904: 1021 South St., Portsmouth, VA 1905: 19 Mariner St., Norfolk, VA 1906: 23rd St., Norfolk, VA 1907: 1004 Glasgow St., Portsmouth, VA 1908: 107 Sherwood St., Portsmouth, VA 1909-1914: 221 Charleston Ave., Portsmouth, VA Marriagecertificate sylvesterrufusallen faithwilburostrander1.jpg|Sylvester Ruffus Allen & Faith Wilbur Ostrander Marriage License Death sylvesterruffusallen.jpg|Sylvester Ruffus Allen Death Certificate Obituaries sylvesterrallen.jpg|Sylvester R. Allen Obituary